The true purpose of Zen is to see things as they are, to observe things as they are, and to let everything go as it goes.

The mind is intrinsically empty. It's empty of all that we perceive as being intrinsically "me" and "mine."

Silence is sometimes the best answer.

Real freedom is not about controlling our experience, but about being free within our experience.

Just as parents care for their children, you should bear in mind the whole universe.

The Four Noble Truths are not merely theoretical propositions but a framework for understanding and transforming our experience.

Though the view should be as vast as the sky, keep your conduct as fine as barley flour.

Those who know emptiness, know impermanence. Those who know impermanence, know non-self. Those who know non-self, know peace.

All beings by nature are Buddha, as ice by nature is water. Apart from water there is no ice; apart from beings, no Buddha.

The practice of Dharma is a constant battle within oneself.

If your mind is empty, it is always ready for anything; it is open to everything.

The more we witness our emotional reactions and understand how they work, the easier it is to refrain.

If you truly loved yourself, you could never hurt another.

A good friend who points out mistakes and imperfections and rebukes evil is to be respected as if he reveals a secret of hidden treasure.

Enlightenment is not the end of change but the end of resistance to change.

Take into account that great love and great achievements involve great risk.

Misery ceases to exist when we stop reacting to sensations.

When you talk, you are only repeating what you already know. But if you listen, you may learn something new.

The practitioner and practice are like fire and wood. The more you practice, the more you burn.

The three characteristics - impermanence, suffering, and non-self - are not philosophical concepts but aspects of experience to be directly observed.

When you recognize that pain and suffering are impermanent, you become free.

The source of love is deep in us and we can help others realize a lot of happiness. One word, one action, one thought can reduce another person's suffering and bring that person joy.

It is under the greatest adversity that there exists the greatest potential for doing good, both for oneself and others.

Every morning we are born again. What we do today is what matters most.

True freedom is a freedom from the tyranny of our own thoughts and afflictive emotions.

The root of all mind is your own present pure awareness. Rest in that essence without seeking elsewhere.

Nothing can harm you as much as your own unguarded thoughts.

Every experience is an opportunity to practice awareness.

Meditation is the ultimate mobile device; you can use it anywhere, anytime, unobtrusively.

The path to liberation requires both understanding and practice, both pariyatti and patipatti.

When you run after your thoughts, you are like a dog chasing a stick. Every time a stick is thrown, you run after it. Instead, be like a lion who, rather than chasing after the stick, turns to face the thrower.

To forget the self is to be actualized by myriad things.

World peace must develop from inner peace. Peace is not just mere absence of violence. Peace is, I think, the manifestation of human compassion.